The present invention relates generally to a manner by which to maintain updated operation parameters at a mobile station pursuant to which the mobile station, such as a cellular mobile station, is operable. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, and an associated method, for downloading the operational parameters to the mobile station by way of a radio link. The operational parameters are downloaded in a secured manner, utilizing nonproprietary techniques, such as a synchronization markup language (Sync ML). The need otherwise to deliver the mobile station to a service center to receive the operational parameters is obviated as the downloading of the operational parameters is instead performed remotely by way of the radio link.
The use of communication systems through which to communicate data between separate, spaced-apart locations is a necessary adjunct of modern society. Many different types of communication systems have been developed for use to effectuate communication of data between sending and receiving stations positioned at the separate, spaced-apart locations.
Advancements in communication technologies have made possible both improvements to existing types of communication systems as well as implementations of new types of communication systems. Communication of increased amounts of data, at increased rates, between communication stations positioned at locations at which communication previously could not have been effectuated are now possible due to such improvements.
Radio communication systems are exemplary of communication systems which have benefited from the advancements in communication technologies. In a radio communication system, communication channels formed between sending and receiving stations of the system are defined upon radio links extending between the sending and receiving stations. Communication channels upon which data is communicated are defined upon radio links. Wireline connections, conventionally required in a wireline communication system upon which to define communication channels, are therefore obviated in a radio communication system. Use of a radio communication system, as a result, inherently permits an increase in communication mobile in contrast to the use of conventional, wireline communication systems. As fixed connections are not required to be formed between the sending and receiving stations of a radio communication system, relative movement between the sending and receive stations while still permitting communications to be effectuated therebetween is possible.
A cellular communication system is a type of radio communication system which has achieved high levels of usage. The infrastructure of various types of communication systems have been installed over wide geographical areas and provide for radio communication with mobile stations operable in the various types of cellular communication systems.
Upgrades to, and other revisions of, cellular communication systems are made possible by additional advancements in communication technologies. Various of such upgrades, and other revisions, require changes to be made in operational parameters pursuant to which a mobile station operable in a cellular communication system operates. To take advantage of the upgrade or revision, or, in some instances, to be operable subsequent to the upgrade or revision, necessitates that changes be made to the operational parameters at the mobile station.
The operational parameters which might be changed, include, for instance, parameters associated with a preferred roaming list, a parameter associated with a new number assignment module associated with the mobile station, a new value of a parameter associated with an enhanced variable rate coder, a parameter associated with a changed IP (internet protocol) address associated with the mobile station, and an access point setup parameter list. Additional parameters might also be susceptible to change or revision.
One conventional manner by which to effectuate the change of an operational parameter at the mobile station is to require that the mobile station be returned to a service center at which reprogramming of the mobile station is carried out to effectuate the update or other revision of the operating parameter, as appropriate. The requirement that the mobile station be returned to a service center is inconvenient to the user of the mobile station, reducing user-satisfaction of the service provider. Additionally, the need for the service provider to maintain a service center at which users of the mobile stations return the mobile stations to have the operating parameters updated or revise necessitates significant investment and expense by the operator.
Alternately, use of existing network elements, such as those set forth in interim standards IS-683 (OTASP) and IS-683(a) (OTAPA) are utilized. These manners by which to update or revise the operating parameters of the mobile stations are limited due to their complexity or proprietary nature.
An improved manner by which better to update or otherwise revise operating parameters at a mobile station pursuant to which the mobile station is operable would therefore be advantageous.
It is in light of this background information related to maintaining operating parameters at a mobile station that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.
The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides apparatus, and an associated method, by which to maintain updated operational parameters at a mobile station pursuant to which the mobile station, such as a cellular mobile station, is operable.
Through operation of an embodiment of the present invention, a manner is provided by which to download the operational parameters to the mobile station by way of a radio link. The operational parameters are encoded so that downloading of the operational parameters is effectuated in a secured manner. Non proprietary techniques, such as use of a synchronization markup language engine by which to encode the operation parameters, are utilized.
Because a radio link is utilized upon which to communicate the operational parameters to the mobile station, the need otherwise to deliver the mobile station to a service center at which the operational parameters would conventionally otherwise be downloaded to the mobile station. And, through the use of nonproprietary techniques, complexities otherwise resulting from the use of conventional manners by which to download, by way of radio links, the operational parameters to the mobile station, are obviated.
In one aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for an operator by which to communicate operational parameters to a mobile station. When an operational parameter, already stored at a mobile station, is to be updated, or another operational parameter is to be provided to a mobile station, indications of the operational parameter are provided to a server associated with the operator. The server is connected to a packet data network, such as the internet backbone, and the indications are provided to the server by way of an interface located at the server or elsewhere, such as by way of the packet network.
The server includes a synchronization markup language (Sync ML) engine to which indications of the updated, or other, operational parameter are provided. The Sync ML engine forms a Sync ML-formatted message which is routed to the packet data network through a radio access network portion of the radio communication system of which the mobile station forms a portion. The Sync ML-formatted message is sent upon a communication channel defined upon a radio link formed between the radio access network portion and the mobile station.
Once the message is detected at the mobile station, the values of the operational parameters are recovered, thereafter to be utilized at the mobile station pursuant to subsequent operations of the mobile station.
In another aspect of the present invention, a manner is provided for the mobile station to detect, and store, the operational parameters transmitted thereto. When the values of the operational parameters are formatted to form a Sync ML message, the mobile station includes a Sync ML engine operable to detect, and operate upon, the detected message. Indications of the values of the operational parameters are stored at a storage element of the mobile station. Thereafter, the values are retrieved, as appropriate, pursuant to subsequent operation of the mobile station.
The operational parameters comprise, for instance, parameters associated with a preferred roaming list (PRL), a number assignment module (NAM), an enhanced variable rate coder (EVRC), an IP (internet protocol) address associated with the mobile station, and access point setup parameters. Other operational parameters are analogously also communicated to the mobile station pursuant to operation of an embodiment of the present invention.
In these and other aspects, therefore, apparatus, and an associated method, is provided for a radio communication system, having a mobile station operable pursuant to at least a first selected operational parameter. The mobile station is capable of communicating with network infrastructure of the radio communication system. A download-parameter signal is generated at the network infrastructure for communication to the mobile station. A download-parameter signal generator is coupled to receive indications of a value to be associated with the at least the first selected operational parameter. The download-parameter signal generator is selectably operable to generate the download-parameter signal. The download-parameter signal is of values representative of the values representative of the value associated with the at least first selected operational parameter, and the download-parameter signal is encoded to limit detection of the values thereof during communication therefrom to the mobile station.
In these and further other aspects, further apparatus, and associated method, is provided for the mobile station for storing the values representative of the value associated with the at least the first selected operational parameter. A download-parameter signal detector is coupled to receive indications of the download-parameter signal generated by the download-signal generator once communicated to the mobile station. The download-signal detector detects the values representative of the first selected operational parameter. A storage element is coupled to the download-parameter signal detector. The storage element stores the values detected by the download-parameter signal detector.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.